1. art and entertainment
2. shows and events
3. classical concert

More for daughter Samantha,
less for Uncle Sam.
Without proper planning, estate and inheritance taxes can consume
assets you would prefer to pass on to your heirs. Our planners,
together with your attorney and accountant, can help you work to
minimize taxes and maximize what you leave to the next generation.
Hilliard Lyons is as committed to optimizing your assets as you are to
establishing your legacy. 888-878-7845
Hilliard Lyons Trust Company, LLC and J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC (Hilliard Lyons) are subsidiaries of
HL Financial Services, LLC. Securities are offered through J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC | Member NYSE,
FINRA, & SIPC | Hilliard Lyons and Hilliard Lyons Trust Company do not offer tax or legal advise. Please
consult your tax advisor or attorney before making any decision that may affect your tax or legal situation.
PUBLISHER
FEARLESS DESIGNS, INC.
FEBRUARY 2015
EDITOR
KAY TULL
MANAGING EDITOR
AGGIE KEEFE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
JEFF TULL
DESIGN
KAY & JEFF TULL
LEAH DIENES
PRODUCTION
AGGIE KEEFE
LEAH DIENES
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SCOTT DOWD
PRINTING
CLARK & RIGGS PRINTING
FEATURES
THE ARTISTIC SPOTLIGHT
Louisville Ballet’s next production is Val Caniparoli’s
A Cinderella Story—but it’s not what you think!
It’s Cinderella with a bebop, blues, swing, tango
feel set in the 1950s to an original jazz orchestration
from the Richard Rodgers songbook ......................................6
PROGRAM ..................................................................................A-1
TRAVEL CALENDAR
A select guide to events worth mentioning in
New York, Chicago, Cincinnati and beyond .................. ...14
THEATRE INFORMATION
The Kentucky Center—(Whitney Hall, Bomhard Theater, Clark-Todd Hall,
MeX Theater, 501 West Main Street; and Brown Theatre, 315 W. Broadway).
Tickets: The Kentucky Center Box Office, 502.584.7777 or 1.800.775.7777,
or Ticketmaster*. Information Hot-Line: 502.562-0100.
*Ticketmaster: 502.361.3100, or www.ticketmaster.com.
Reserve wheelchair seating or hearing devices at time of ticket purchase.
© COPYRIGHT 2015
FEARLESS DESIGNS, INC.
REPRODUCTION IN
WHOLE OR PART
WITHOUT WRITTEN
PERMISSION
IS PROHIBITED.
AUDIENCE ®
IS PUBLISHED BY
FEARLESS DESIGNS, INC.
622 E. MAIN STREET
SUITE 206
LOUISVILLE, KY 40202
502.581.9713
THEAUDIENCEGROUP.COM
PRINTED IN USA
LOOK AROUND YOU RIGHT NOW. IF THE PEOPLE YOU SEE LOOK LIKE POTENTIAL
CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS, YOU SHOULD BE ADVERTISING IN OUR PROGRAM GUIDES!
OUR ADVERTISERS NOT ONLY GET THE BENEFIT OF REACHING A LARGE, CAPTIVE,
AFFLUENT AND EDUCATED DEMOGRAPHIC, BUT THEY ALSO SUPPORT THE ARTS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING IN AUDIENCE, CONTACT KAY TULL
AT 502.581.9713. CLOSING DATES FOR AD SALES ARE APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS
PRIOR TO THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.
THE AUDIENCE GROUP PROVIDES PROGRAM GUIDES FOR:
• Actors theAtre of LouisviLLe (502.584.1205)
• KentucKy center Presents (502.562.0100)
• KentucKy shAKesPeAre (502.574.9900)
• LouisviLLe BALLet (502.583.3150)
• LouisviLLe orchestrA (502.587.8681)
• Pnc BroAdwAy in LouisviLLe (502.584.7469)
E-MAIL: INFO@THEAUDIENCEGROUP.COM
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT OUR WEB SITE:
THEAUDIENCEGROUP.COM
SCAN THE QR CODE TO DOWNLOAD
A PDF OF THIS LOUISVILLE
ORCHESTRA PROGRAM GUIDE.
LOUISVILLE’S HOMETOWN BOURBON™.
AMERICA’S FIRST BOTTLED BOURBON®
we invite you to visit oldforester.com.
please sip old forester responsibly.
Old Forester Straight Bourbon Whisky, 43% Alc. by Volume, Brown-Forman Distillers Company, Louisville, KY ©2014 OLD FORESTER is a registered trademark. Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc. Twitter is a registered trademark of Twitter, Inc.
LETTER
FROM THE
EDITOR
The lights dim, the curtain rises, and a quiet air of excitement and expectation
settles over the audience. Why are we all here? Perhaps to participate in some sort of
transformative experience?
What art offers is space—a certain breathing room for the spirit. ~ John Updike
The stage is not merely the meeting place of all the arts,
but is also the return of art to life. ~ Oscar Wilde
A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind. ~ Eugene Ionesco
Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling.
A song makes you feel a thought. ~ E.Y. Harbug
For a complete list of shows in 2015, go to Audience Calendar at theaudiencegroup.com
and link directly to group venues for more information and to buy tickets. For news, reviews
and interviews on the entire arts community, visit Arts-Louisville.com.
Enjoy the show!
Kay Tull
HIGHLANDS LATIN SCHOOL
AVERAGE CLASS SIZE: 16
AVERAGE SAT: 1954
WWW.THELATINSCHOOL.ORG
A U D I E N C E
5
THE ARTISTIC SPOTLIGHT
Va l C a n i pa r ol i
LOUISVILLE BALLET
Once upon a time
in the late 1950s, television stations began to offer a
few phenomenal evenings of programming that
mesmerized the entire family. One of these was Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s musical Cinderella, the first
Broadway musical ever made for television. The year
was 1957, and it created an international sensation.
That musical and the phenomenon surrounding its
initial broadcast provide the background for San
Francisco-based choreographer Val Caniparoli’s ballet
A Cinderella Story, which makes its Louisville premiere this month at The Kentucky Center
for the Arts. One of the most-sought-after American choreographers in the United States
and abroad, Caniparoli’s name is synonymous with modern ballet.
BY SCOTT
Scott Dowd: Even as Louisvillians were
enjoying your iconic interpretation of
Hoffmann’s Christmas classic here, you
were in Michigan working on the world
premiere of a newer version of The
Nutcracker that you choreographed for
the Grand Rapids Ballet.
Val Caniparoli: Yes, it was a big project
with a lot of pressure, but it was very
well-received. The sets and production
were designed by Chris Van Allsburg,
renowned author of The Polar Express,
and Eugene Lee, who designed the
6
DOWD
sets for Wicked and Sweeney Todd.
SD: I read the production was recordbreaking with all sold-out performances!
That show is set to tour much like
A Cinderella Story, the ballet you choreographed for Royal Winnipeg Ballet in
2004. It’s danced to themes by Richard
Rodgers. Getting the rights to use the
music of Richard Rodgers in an original
work is almost unheard of. How did this
all come about?
VC: I guess it started in 2002 with
Cincinnati Ballet and their invitation to
A U D I E N C E
Louisville Ballet dancers Mark Krieger and
Natalie Ashikhmina in Val Caniparoli’s
A Cinderella Story. Photo by PriceWeber.
Wine Down Wednesday
1/2 Priced Select Bottles of Wine
from 4 to 11PM
Bourbon & Bluegrass on Thursdays
live bluegrass music and our signature
bourbon cocktails
Sunday Brunch, bubbly & Jazz
house made pastas, Eggs Benedict station,
our Home Grown Table and traditional
favorites alongside live Jazz music
from 10:30AM to 2PM
MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW
502.671.4285 or Opentable.com
280 W Jefferson St. | Louisville, Ky 40202
Located in the Louisville Marriott Downtown
the gala in New York to pay tribute to
Richard Rodgers during his centennial
year. Everyone was doing something with
his music that year—orchestras, Broadway,
ballet companies, etc. I had created a pas
de deux to the tune “No Other Love,”
which was originally written for Victory at
Sea as “Under the Southern Cross.” He
reworked it in 1953 for the show Juliet and
Me. A Cuban couple from Cincinnati Ballet
had gone back to Europe during break but
couldn’t get back into the United States in
time, so San Francisco Ballet stepped in
with my pas de deux. It just so happened
that the daughters of Richard Rodgers
were there and they loved it.
SD: It sounds a bit like a Cinderella story.
VC: Just wait. Flash ahead, maybe a year,
and I get a call from the Royal Winnipeg
Ballet—I love these challenges. André
Lewis, the artistic director, told me he
wanted to do a full-length Cinderella and
asked if I was interested. Well, of course, I
was. Then he said, “But we don’t want
Prokofiev.” I love a challenge, so I said,
“Great. All right. I’ll figure it out.” Then the
light bulb went on and I thought, “Why don’t
we do something with Richard Rodgers?”
SD: Was the television version your first
thought?
VC: I don’t know where I came up with
the idea of using his version of Cinderella
that was done specifically for television in
1957. But I did think it was interesting and
had a thought that we could use it as a
starting point. Low and behold, we got the
rights because of what his daughters had
seen in New York. It’s unusual to be able to
take Richard Rodgers’ scores and rearrange
(Continued on page 9)
8
A U D I E N C E
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
Teddy Abrams, Music Director, Mary and Barry Bingham, Sr., Music Director Chair
Jorge Mester, Music Director Emeritus
Bob Bernhardt, Principal Pops Conductor
Jason Seber, Education and Outreach Conductor
FIRST VIOLIN
Michael Davis, Concertmaster
Fanny and Charles Horner
Concertmaster Chair
Caitlin Kelley, Interim Assistant
Concertmaster
National City Bank Chair
Katheryn S. Ohkubo
Cheri Lyon Kelley
Mrs. John H. Clay Chair
Stephen Taylor
Clayton Pusateri Chair,
Endowed by Joe and
Vickie Pusateri
Scott Staidle
Nancy Staidle
Barbara Meek
Patricia Fong
Maria Semes
Tamara Meinecke *
SECOND VIOLIN
Robert Simonds, Principal
Claire and Lee Lenkoff Chair
Devonie Freeman
Mary Catherine Klan Violin
Chair, Endowed by Chase
Elisa Spalding
Kimberly Tichenor, Acting
Assistant Principal
Charles Brestel
Patricia Ann Jenkins
Endowed Chair
Heidi Tracy
Judy Pease Wilson
Blaise Hayden Smith
Clinton Grosz
VIOLA
Jack Griffin, Principal
Aegon Chair
Evan Vicic, Assistant Principal
Jacqueline R. and
Theodore S. Rosky Chair
Clara Markham
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W.
Hebel, Jr. Chair
Jennifer Shackleton
Jonathan Mueller
Virginia Kershner Schneider
Viola Chair, Endowed in Honor
of Emilie Strong Smith by an
Anonymous Donor
Meghan Casper
CELLO
Nicholas Finch, Principal
Thomas Mattingly and Anita
Grenough Abell Memorial Chair
Joseph Caruso, Assistant Principal
Carole C. Birkhead Chair,
Endowed by Dr. Ben M. Birkhead
Christina Hinton
Dr. Edward Leo Callahan Chair
Allison B. Olsen
Frances Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer
Chair, Endowed by Esther &
Dr. David Shapiro
Deborah Caruso
Julia Preston
BASS
Bert Witzel, Principal
Patricia Docs, Acting Assistant
Principal
Robert Docs
Karl Olsen
Jarrett Fankhauser Chair,
Endowed by the
Paul Ogle Foundation
Michael Chmilewski
FLUTE
Kathleen Karr, Principal
Elaine Klein Chair
Donald Gottlieb
Philip M. Lanier Chair
PICCOLO
Donald Gottlieb
Alvis R. Hambrick Chair
OBOE
Jennifer Potochnic, Principal
Betty Arrasmith Chair,
Endowed by the Association
of the Louisville Orchestra
Trevor Johnson, Assistant
Principal
Edgar J. Hinson III Chair
ENGLISH HORN
Trevor Johnson
CLARINET
Andrea Levine, Principal
Brown-Forman Corp. Chair
Ernest Gross
Kate H. and Julian P.
Van Winkle, Jr. Chair
Marilyn Nije §
BASS CLARINET
Ernest Gross
General Dillman A. Rash Chair
BASSOON
Matthew Karr, Principal
Paul D. McDowell Chair
Christopher Reid §
HORN
Jon Gustely, Principal
Edith S. and Barry
Bingham, Jr. Chair
Stephen Causey, Assistant
Principal
Diana Wade Morgen
Gary and Sue Russell Chair
Bruce Heim §
TRUMPET
J. Jerome Amend, Principal
Leon Rapier Chair, Endowed
by the Musicians of the
Louisville Orchestra
James Recktenwald, Assistant
Principal
Lynne A. Redgrave Chair
Daniel Kassteen
TROMBONE
Donna Parkes, Principal
PNC Bank, Kentucky, Inc. Chair
Brett Shuster §
BASS TROMBONE
Raymond Horton
TUBA
John DiCesare, Principal
TIMPANI
Jim Rago, Principal
Mr. and Mrs. Warwick
Dudley Musson Principal
Timpani Chair
PERCUSSION
John Pedroja, Principal
Mark Tate §
HARP
Mary Julian Rapier, Principal
The Humana Foundation Chair
KEYBOARD
Grace Baugh-Bennett §
Margaret S. Comstock
Piano Chair
* Musician On Leave
§ Auxiliary Musician
A U D I E N C E
A-1
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA MUSICIAN PROFILE
Meet Matthew and Kathy Karr: A Musical Love Story
As married musicians, Principal Bassoonist,
Matthew Karr, and Principal Flute, Kathy Karr,
get to share the joys of amazing symphonic
performances. Kathy says, “When the orchestra
plays a magnificent concert, we can share equally
the deep satisfaction of having done something
really well. We are completely understanding of
each other’s lifestyle, our extraordinarily varied
schedules, the need to practice a lot, Matthew’s
reed making.” Matt continues, “We also both teach
at the University of Louisville and work closely
together at the School of Music. One of the
challenges of our lives is that sometimes we see each other so much that we don’t spend
enough time together outside of work.”
They met in Chicago in a Greek restaurant. Kathy was a student at Northwestern University
and Matthew had finished college at Oberlin and was performing with the Chicago Civic
Orchestra. A group of musicians went to dinner in Greek town (Halsted Street in Chicago),
and a wild and crazy time was had by all. Matthew auditioned for the Louisville Orchestra
shortly after they met and won the job. They married a few years later, and after a few
years, the Principal Flute job opened and Kathy auditioned and won the position. “At that
point, we decided to settle in Louisville permanently and raise our two beautiful children,
Laura and Daniel.”
Matthew enjoys the music of the ’60s and ’70s, especially Creedence Clearwater Revival,
Cat Stevens and Chicago. Kathy loves Klezmer and world music, but says, “Of course, our
first love is Classical music.” Matthew prefers Baroque and Classical music, especially
Mozart Piano Concerti. Kathy prefers 20th Century Orchestral music and especially
impressionistic music.
This season Kathy is thrilled and excited to perform the Mozart Concerto in G for Flute for
the February Neighborhood series. Mahler 1st and Shostakovich Symphony No. 6 are also
favorites. Matthew was thrilled to perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto, a piece near to his
heart. Matthew is also very excited to perform Tchaikovsky 6th Symphony coming up soon.
Matthew enjoys hiking the mountains in the Sierras, working in his wood shop and cycling
long distances. Kathy enjoys running half marathons and volunteering in her synagogue.
Mathew laughs, “Our interests are very diverse and rarely coincide.”
How does a wedded pair of orchestral musicians spend Valentine’s Day? This year, Kathy
will be performing the Mozart G Major Flute Concerto in Madisonville, Kentucky, that night!
Matthew will be performing that night’s concert as well. But mostly, Matthew will be
cheering Kathy on! They say, “We will also be listening to woodwind auditions at the
University of Louisville all morning. Not such a romantic day for us this year!”
A-2
A U D I E N C E
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
TEDDY ABRAMS, MUSIC DIRECTOR
JORGE MESTER, MUSIC DIRECTOR EMERITUS
BOB BERNHARDT, PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR
COFFEE CLASSICS
CLASSICS SERIES
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 • 10:30 A.M.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2015 • 8 P.M.
Brahms Symphony No. 1
WHITNEY HALL, THE KENTUCKY CENTER
TEDDY ABRAMS, CONDUCTOR
PROGRAM
SEBASTIAN CHANG
Symphony (World Premiere)
I. Validation
II. Vibrance
III. Experience
IV. Gestalt
– INTERMISSION –
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op. 68
I. Un poco sostenuto—Allegro—Meno allegro
II. Andante sostenuto
III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso
IV. Adagio—Più andante—Allegro non troppo,
ma con brio—Più allegro
Listen to a broadcast of this concert on Classical 90.5FM (WUOL) and WUOL.ORG on Thursday, February 12, at 8 p.m.
Please switch off all electronic devices before the concert begins. The use of cameras or recording devices is strictly prohibited.
A U D I E N C E
A-3
TEDDY ABRAMS,
CONDUCTOR
An unusually
conducted the NWS in Miami Beach,
versatile musician,
Washington, D.C., and at Carnegie Hall,
Teddy Abrams is a
and has worked with many other
widely acclaimed
orchestras around the country.
conductor as well as
An accomplished pianist and
an established
clarinetist, Abrams has appeared as a
pianist, clarinetist
soloist with a number of orchestras –
and composer. This
including playing and conducting the
season marks the beginning of his tenure Ravel Piano Concerto with the
as Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra Jacksonville Symphony in fall
and Music Director and Conductor of the
2013 – and has performed chamber
Britt Classical Festival. He also serves as
music with the St. Petersburg String
Resident Conductor of the MAV Symphony Quartet, Menahem Pressler, Gilbert
Orchestra in Budapest, which he first
Kalish, Time for Three and John Adams,
conducted in 2011. Teddy
in addition to annual
recently concluded his
appearances at the
appointment as
Olympic Music
“Abrams’ account of the
Assistant Conductor of
Festival. Dedicated
the Detroit Symphony.
to exploring new
first movement of
Active as a guest
and engaging ways
Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’
conductor, the
to communicate
was impassioned
2014-15 season
with a diverse
and brooding.
includes Teddy’s
range of audiences,
debuts with the
Abrams co-founded
Daniel Gilliam, WUOL
Louisiana and New
the Sixth Floor Trio
Mexico Philharmonics
in 2008. The Trio
and the Kitchenerhas performed around
Waterloo Symphony, as well as returns to
the country, establishing residencies in
the Indianapolis Symphony and New
communities in North Carolina,
World Symphony on subscription with
Philadelphia, New York and South
Joshua Bell as soloist. Recent
Florida; Abrams and the Trio founded
performances include a debut with the
and direct GardenMusic, the music
Los Angeles Philharmonic and returns to
festival of the world-renowned Fairchild
The Florida Orchestra, the Jacksonville
Tropical Garden in Miami. Abrams
Symphony and the San Francisco
collaborated as an arranger and pianist
Symphony, where he conducted the
with Cleveland Orchestra’s principal
orchestra’s summer classical series in July
trombonist Massimo La Rosa for La Rosa’s
2013. From 2008 to 2011 Abrams was the
debut CD, released in October 2010.
Conducting Fellow and Assistant
Abrams studied conducting with
Conductor of the New World Symphony
Michael Tilson Thomas, Otto-Werner
(NWS) and conducted many
Mueller and Ford Lallerstedt at the Curtis
performances, including subscription
Institute of Music, and with David
concerts and numerous other full and
Zinman at the Aspen Music Festival; he
chamber orchestra events. Abrams has
was the youngest conducting student
{ {
A-4
A U D I E N C E
ever accepted at both institutions.
Abrams is also an award-winning
composer and a passionate educator –
he has taught at numerous schools
throughout the United States. His 2009
Education Concerts with the New World
Symphony (featuring the world premiere
of one of Abrams’ own orchestral works)
were webcast to hundreds of schools
throughout South Florida.
Abrams performed as a keyboardist
with the Philadelphia Orchestra, won the
SEBASTIAN CHANG,
Sebastian Chang
works as a composer,
pianist and teacher.
His first major
performance was at
the age of 9 with the
Tokyo Symphony
Orchestra, playing
the solo piano part of his composition
“Concertino for Piano and Orchestra.”
While a student in college and high
school, Sebastian received three BMI
Student Composer Awards and five ASCAP
Morton Gould Young Composer Awards.
2007 Aspen Composition Contest and was
the Assistant Conductor of the YouTube
Symphony at Carnegie Hall in 2009. He
has held residencies at the La Mortella
music festival in Ischia, Italy, and at the
American Academy in Berlin. Teddy was a
proud member of the San Francisco
Symphony Youth Orchestra for seven
seasons and graduated from the San
Francisco Conservatory of Music with a
bachelor of music, having studied piano
with Paul Hersh.
PIANIST-COMPOSER
He also became a Davidson Institute for
Talent Development Fellow Laureate and
a Pinnacle Scholar.
He holds a bachelor of music in
composition from the Curtis Institute of
Music and a master of music in
composition from the University of
Southern California. He is currently
published by Sebastian Press and Alpha
Major. He will be participating next in the
third Garden Music Festival in Miami,
Florida, from January 5 through 18, 2015,
which will feature the premiere of
several of his new compositions.
VIVALDI’S
“THE FOUR SEASONS”
FRI, MAR 6 • 8pm (ADDED PERFORMANCE) & SAT, MAR 7 • 8pm
Brown Theatre on Broadway
TICKETS $50 - $15
Teddy Abrams, conductor
Concert includes the Grawemeyer Award winning composition
On the Guarding of the Heart by Djuro Zivkovich
Sponsored by
Louisvilleorchestra.org 502-584-7777
A U D I E N C E
A-5
PROGRAM NOTES
SEBASTIAN CHANG
Symphony
while the third beat remains in roughly
the same place as it originally was placed.
III. Experience is my first opportunity
The Symphony calls for 3 flutes, piccolo,
to write an exposition for orchestra in a
2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons,
slow speed. By adhering to a stable time
contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets,
backdrop of 4/4, I could explore subtle
3 trombones, tuba, timpani, piano
harmonic worlds at a slower pace than I
and strings.
usually have time for. If the right things
are done at the right
Certain aspects
time in this setting,
“Pianist-composer Sebastian
of the Symphony are
tremendous
anchored in the
amounts of energy
Chang played six of his
classical tradition,
can be generated
twelve Etudes for Piano...
for example, the
and moved.
performing with no score and
use of sonataIV. In Gestalt,
lights lowered, it was easy to
allegro form in the
the idea that
imagine that Chang was freely
first movement,
ended the first
the order of
movement
improvising his six intricate
movements within
becomes the
miniatures, which summoned
the traditional
beginning of the
in equal measure impressions
four-movement
last one. As the
of Debussy, Prokofiev,
framework and
first movement is
Nancarrow and Keith Jarrett...
the use of rondo
somber, it colors
form in the last
the appearance of
Someone should pass along
movement. The
the theme in its
Chang’s e-mail address to
work retains fidelity
first guise, and as
Lang Lang, quick.”
to traditional
the fourth
concepts of musical
movement is
~ Steve Smith,
structure and
exuberant and
The Boston Globe
organization, but
declarative, the
the broadening of
theme, although the
the harmonic world of neoclassicism,
first manifestation, can’t help but be
most clearly represented by works by
changed by its musical surroundings.
mid-period Stravinsky or Prokofiev’s own
Classical Symphony, proved to me to be a
Symphony Program Notes
necessary expansion of the symphony’s
by Sebastian Chang
harmonic organization.
I. Validation stems from the threeJOHANNES BRAHMS
voice main theme that stands as the
Symphony No. 1 in C
generative force of the entire symphony.
II. Vibrance is a waltz. It’s designed to
minor, op. 68
be played with a certain feel known as a
Viennese lilt, commonly used to stylistically
Johannes Brahms was
play 19th century Austrian waltzes. In
born in Hamburg in
regular 3/4 time, all of the beats are
1833 and died in
evenly spaced. In a lilt, the first beat is
Vienna in 1897.
rushed, and the second beat is dragged,
Sketches for this work
{ {
A-6
A U D I E N C E
date back as far as 1862, but Brahms did
most of the composing between 1874 and
1876. The first performance took place at
Karlsruhe, Baden, in 1876 under the
direction of Otto Dessoff. Robert Whitney
first led the Louisville Orchestra with this
work in 1944 and was last performed in
2010 with Jorge Mester conducting. The
symphony calls for 2 flutes, 2 oboes,
2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon,
4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani
and strings.
“I shall never compose a symphony!
You have no conception of how the likes
of us feel when we hear the tramp of a
giant like him behind us.” So said Brahms
to his friend, conductor Hermann Levi;
the “giant,” of course, was Beethoven.
Everyone wondered how Brahms
could have reached his early forties
without writing a symphony. After all, at
the same age Beethoven had completed
eight of his nine; Haydn, half a hundred.
When Brahms was only 21, his friend
Robert Schumann wrote, “But where is
Johannes? Is he flying high or only under
the flowers? Is he not yet ready to let drums
and trumpets sound? The beginning is
the main thing; if only one makes the
beginning, then the end comes of itself.”
Brahms did, in fact, make
beginnings, but the ends didn’t quite
come of themselves. After hearing
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Brahms
was inspired to compose a symphony in
the same key of D-minor. He completed
three movements before he abandoned
the project. The music he produced was
good—two of the movements were used
later in the D-minor Piano Concerto and
one found its way into Ein Deutsches
Requiem—but apparently not good
enough. “Composing a symphony is no
laughing matter,” said Brahms, no doubt
hearing the giant’s footsteps behind him.
Brahms knew that his First
Symphony would be seen as an artistic
manifesto in an age when such things
were taken very seriously. Many romantic
composers looked upon Beethoven as
the Great Liberator, the one who opened
the doors to unbridled romanticism.
Brahms, on the other hand, was
predisposed to believe that much of the
strength of Beethoven’s romanticism
came largely from his classicism, that the
dramatic outbursts were all the more
powerful because of the surrounding
context of discipline. For Brahms, the
heart and mind had to counterbalance
each other.
Critical reaction to the First Symphony
was mixed. The champions of unfettered
romanticism took the symphony as a
rebuke to their aesthetic and treated it as
such; the fans of Brahms’ style, on the
other hand, called it “Beethoven’s Tenth.”
Those with greater insight delighted in
how Brahms’ passion—as refined by his
intellect—led to a work whose impact
was greater than either.
Today the First Symphony is a
monument familiar to all. There is the
pulsing introduction to the turbulent first
movement; the melancholy second; the
graceful, tune-laden third; and the
transcendent Finale, with its startling
transformation of a reverent trombone
chorale into a bold consummation—all
are remembered, yet each encounter
with the symphony is a renewal.
The comparisons to Beethoven were
inevitable, then as now. In a way, both
men approached the same destination
from opposite directions: Beethoven
had pushed outward on the boundaries
of classicism, while Brahms applied
discipline to the unrestrained romanticism
of his age. Brahms waited to issue his
First Symphony until he was a master of
his craft, not only able to withstand the
comparison but one whose own footsteps
would ring in the ears of those who
followed.
~ Mark Rohr
Questions or comments?
markrohrprogramnotes@gmail.com
A U D I E N C E
A-7
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
2014/15
SEASON
UPCOMING
CONCERTS
VIVALDI’S
“The Four Seasons”
MAR 6 & 7
orKIDStra
MEET THE ORCHESTRA
MAR 21
Tchaikovsky’s
“PATHÉTIQUE”
APR 9 & APR 10
A Symphonic Tribute to
THE MUSIC OF
PAUL MCCARTNEY
at the Pops
APR 11
Teddy Abrams conducts
BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH
APR 23 & 25
SYMPHONIC SWING
at the Pops
APR 24
Order your tickets NOW!
502-584-7777 • LouisvilleOrchestra.org
A-8
A U D I E N C E
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
TEDDY ABRAMS, MUSIC DIRECTOR
JORGE MESTER, MUSIC DIRECTOR EMERITUS
BOB BERNHARDT, PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR
L.O. WOW!
The Ben Folds Orchestra Experience
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2015 • 8 P.M.
WHITNEY HALL, THE KENTUCKY CENTER
BOB BERNHARDT, CONDUCTOR
BEN FOLDS, PIANO AND VOCALS
– THERE WILL BE ONE 15-MINUTE INTERMISSION DURING THIS PROGRAM. –
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Please switch off all electronic devices before the concert begins.
The use of cameras or recording devices is strictly prohibited.
A U D I E N C E
A-9
BJOOBR GBEE RMNEHSAT RE DR ,T , C OC ON ND DU UC TC OT OR R
Rochester Philharmonic, Tucson
With more than
Symphony and the Boston Pops. With
three decades of
the latter, he has been a frequent guest
experience as a
for twenty-two years, making his debut
music director,
there in 1992 at the invitation of John
conductor of Pops,
Williams and his most recent appearance
and in the opera pit,
in June 2014.
Louisville Orchestra
This season, he will return to the
Principal Pops
podiums of Detroit, Edmonton, Baltimore,
Conductor Bob
Santa Barbara, Louisiana and Grand
Bernhardt continues to bring his unique
Rapids.
combination of easy style, infectious
His professional opera career began
enthusiasm and wonderful musicianship
with the Birmingham Opera in 1979,
to the city and orchestra he loves.
two years before
Now in his thirty-third
he joined the
season with the LO,
Louisville
and eighteenth as
“Bernhardt is as much at
Orchestra. He
Principal Pops
home with Looney Tunes
worked with
Conductor, he
Kentucky Opera
accepted the
and Merrie Melodies
for eighteen
post of Assistant
as he is with Symphonies
consecutive
Conductor in 1981
and Concertos.”
seasons, including
and has worked
Santa Barbara Independent
six as its Principal
with the Louisville
Guest Conductor.
Orchestra in every
With his own company
season since.
in Chattanooga, he has conducted dozens
He is concurrently Principal Pops
of fully staged productions in a genre he
Conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony
adores. He has also been a frequent
and Opera, where he previously spent
guest of the Nashville Opera.
19 seasons as Music Director, and now
Born in Rochester, New York, he
is in his twenty-second year with the
holds a master’s degree from the
company. He is also Artist-in-Residence
University of Southern California’s School
at Lee University.
of Music, where he studied with Daniel
In the past three seasons, Bob has
Lewis. He is also a Phi Beta Kappa, summa
made his conducting debut with the
cum laude graduate of Union College in
Baltimore Symphony, Dallas Symphony,
Schenectady, New York, where he was an
Houston Symphony, Cincinnati Pops,
Academic All-American baseball player.
Florida Orchestra, Grand Rapids
(While not all the research is in, Bernhardt
Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Las
believes that he is the only conductor
Vegas Philharmonic and Santa Barbara
in the history of music to be invited to
Symphony, all of which were rewarded
spring training with the Kansas City
with return engagements. He has a
Royals. After four days, they suggested
continuing nine-year relationship with
to him a life in music.)
the Edmonton Symphony conducting
His two children, Alex and Charlotte,
there several times each season, and has
live in Seattle. He and his wife, Nora, live
returned as guest conductor with the
in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Detroit Symphony, Seattle Symphony,
{
A-10
{
A U D I E N C E
B E NB FE NO L D S
Multi-platinum
hits with major symphonies before soldselling singer/
out crowds across the nation. He has also
songwriter/producer
toured in 2014 in Europe, the Pacific Rim
Ben Folds first found
and Australia.
success with the Ben
He is currently writing and recording
Folds Five. He’s gone
songs for a new record to be released in
on to have a
the summer of 2015, and will continue
successful solo
touring the globe, playing occasional
career, writing, recording and performing symphony halls, as well as performances
pop hits, as well as a
in rock venues.
recent new concerto
In addition to
“The symphony orchestra
for piano and
his self-described
is a major column at the
orchestra.
love of making
core
of our civilization, not
Folds also
music “for
a luxury or a specialachieved critical
humans,” Folds
interest art form.”
acclaim for his
is also an avid
Ben Folds, Symphony Magazine
insight as a judge on
photographer
NBC’s a cappella
and an advocate
competition “The Singfor music education
Off” for the show’s first five seasons.
and music therapy as a member of
Over the past year, he’s made cameo
Artist Committee of the Americans
appearances in film and TV, including a
For The Arts.
role on Comedy Central’s “Community.”
A Nashville resident, Folds preserved
He’s also written and
from destruction
recorded several
and operates the
“My hope is that new
songs for film
historic RCA
audiences are brought into
and TV.
Studio A, once
Folds, who
managed by Chet
the symphony hall to hear
serves as a member
Atkins, and the
my music and walk
of the Board of
home to
through a door to a
Directors of the
thousands of
lifetime of the greatest
Nashville Symphony,
legendary
music of our culture.”
has composed a
recording sessions
highly acclaimed
in all genres of
Ben Folds, Symphony Magazine
concerto for piano
music—from Elvis
and orchestra. He
Presley to the
premiered the concerto in Nashville, and
Monkees, Dolly Parton to Kacey
has been performing select movements
Musgraves, Tony Bennett to the Beach
of it and other orchestrations of his pop
Boys, Brian Setzer to Hunter Hayes.
{
{
{ {
A U D I E N C E
A-11
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
Carol and Charlie Hebel recognize and appreciate their family’s
contributions to Louisville over the past five generations, and when
they began to think about creating their own legacy they knew it had
to include the Louisville Orchestra.
Carol and Charlie fondly recall their longstanding association with the
Louisville Orchestra. “It all began with the MakingMUSIC concerts and
Robert Whitney,” says Carol. “I was a student at Sacred Heart and Charlie
was attending Male High School. Neither of us have a musical bone in
our body, but we know gorgeous music when we hear it.”
Carol first joined the Louisville Orchestra’s women’s guild in the 1960s,
then Charlie served on the Orchestra Board of Directors in the 1970s,
followed by Carol in the 1980s. Carol is a past-president of the board
and remains a vital—and valuable—board member to this day.
Drawing on their affection for the Orchestra and its musicians, and
believing in its essential role in the community, the Hebels have
established a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) to guarantee sustaining
support for the Louisville Orchestra beyond their lifetimes. “No one
asked us to do this,” says Charlie. “This community has been good to
us and we want to give back. A CRT is the ideal way to do it – it affords
the ability to support the charities of our choice while allowing us an
income stream for life. Plus, there is a first year charitable deduction, so
your tax benefits come up-front.”
Carol and Charlie Hebel are proud members of the Robert S. Whitney
Legacy Society that recognizes those who have included the Louisville
Orchestra in their estate plans.
To learn more about how you can include the Orchestra in your
estate planning, please contact Edward Schadt, Director of
Planned Giving at 502-648-4844 or
eschadt@louisvilleorchestra.org.
A-12
A U D I E N C E
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
TEDDY ABRAMS, MUSIC DIRECTOR
JORGE MESTER, MUSIC DIRECTOR EMERITUS
BOB BERNHARDT, PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR
CLASSICS SERIES
Enigma Variations
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2015 • 8 P.M. • BROWN THEATRE
JORGE MESTER, cOnducTOR • JuLIAn ScHWARZ, cELLO
PROGRAM
WILLIAM SCHUMAN
New England Triptych
I. Be Glad then, America
II. When Jesus Wept
III. Chester
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, op.107
Julian Schwarz, cello
I. Allegretto
II. Moderato
III. Cadenza—Attacca
IV. Allegro con moto
– INTERMISSION –
EDWARD ELGAR
I. Theme
II. Variation I “C.A.E.”
III. Variation II “H.D.S-P.”
IV. Variation III “R.B.T.”
V. Variation IV “W.M.B.”
VI. Variation V “R.P.A.”
VII. Variation VI “Ysobel”
VIII. Variation VII “Troyte”
Enigma Variations, op. 36
IX. Variation VIII “W.N.”
X. Variation IX “Nimrod”
XI. Variation X “Dorabella”
XII. Variation XI “G.R.S.”
XIII. Variation XII “B.G.N.”
XIV. Variation XIII “ * * * ”
XV. Variation XIV “E.D.U.”
Listen to a broadcast of this concert on Classical 90.5FM (WUOL) and WUOL.ORG on Thursday, March 12, at 8 p.m.
Please switch off all electronic devices before the concert begins. The use of cameras or recording devices is strictly prohibited.
A U D I E N C E
A-13
JORGE MESTER,
CONDUCTOR
Jorge Mester is recogconductor of both the Adelaide Symphony
nized throughout the
and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. From
world as a preeminent
1998 to 2002, he served as artistic director
conductor, renowned
of the Orquesta Filarmonica de la Ciudad
for the excellence and
de Mexico in Mexico City. As a guest
prominence he brings
conductor, Mester has traveled the world to
to every organization
appear with such orchestras as the Royal
he leads. In July 2006,
Philharmonic Orchestra of London, Cape
Mester was invited to
Town Symphony Orchestra and the
return as music direc- tor of The Louisville
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra. He
Orchestra, a position he previously held
commanded worldwide attention when
from 1967 to 1979.
he conducted the opening ceremonies for
He was Music Director of the Pasadena the Getty Center in Los Angeles in 1997 and
Symphony for 25 years from 1985 to 2010, subsequently served as artistic director of
and Music Director of the Naples
the Center’s first classical music series.
Philharmonic from 2004 to 2012. Mester
Long an ardent champion of
is also Conductor
contemporary
Laureate of the
music, Mester has
During his first 12-year
prestigious Aspen
worked with
tenure, Mester and the
Music Festival,
dozens of gifted
Louisville Orchestra made
which he led as
composers and
music director for
has presented
72 world premiere recordings
21 years from
at least 75 world
of contemporary works by
1970 to 1991.
premieres.
Dmitri Shostakovich, Carlos
He also put his
In 1985, he
Chavez, Frank Martin, Henry
unique stamp on
received Columbia
Cowell, Samuel Barber,
the Puerto Rico
University’s
Leonardo Balada and Peter
Festival Casals
prestigious Ditson
during the seven
Conductor’s
Schulthorpe, to name a few.
years he served as
Award for the
its music director,
advancement of
beginning in the late 1970s. Mester also
American music. Other Ditson Award
served as Artistic Director of the Young
recipients include Leonard Bernstein,
Musicians Foundation and its Debut
Eugene Ormandy and Leopold Stokowski.
Orchestra for the 2011-12 season.
In Mexico City, Mester programmed a
As the artistic director of the National
40-week festival featuring 20th century
Orchestral Association’s New Orchestra
music. This unique season, which devoted
Music Project from 1988 to 1992, he
a month to each decade of the 20th
became familiar with an impressive
century, was hailed as a musical “first.”
number of American composers and had
Jorge Mester’s recent guest-conducting
the opportunity to present many new works
engagements include Breckenridge’s
at Carnegie Hall. He also served as chief
National Repertory Orchestra, Buffalo
conductor of the West Australia Symphony Philharmonic, a return to Mexico City’s
Orchestra in Perth, and principal guest
Orquesta Filarmónica de la Universidad
{ {
A-14
A U D I E N C E
Autónoma de Mexico and Orquesta
Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México (for
its celebratory 30th anniversary concert),
and the Budapest Concert Orchestra MAV
in Hungary. In the U.S., he has also
conducted the orchestras of Boston,
Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati, Seattle
and Rochester. In summer 2011, Mester
led the Chautauqua Festival Orchestra
in its season opening concerts.
Notably, Mester’s passion for
conducting extends from the stage to the
classroom. He served as director of the
Juilliard School’s Conducting Department
during the early 1980s, led a series of
conducting workshops for the Buffalo
Philharmonic Orchestra and has also
been a guest conductor at the USC
Thornton School of Music. Mester says,
“I love teaching. I hope to pay back the
help which Leonard Bernstein, Gregor
Piatigorski, William Schuman and Jean
Morel gave me early in my career. I want
to help others the way I was helped.”
Indeed, he has taught several
generations of conductors, including James
Conlon, Dennis Russell Davies, Andreas
Delfs, JoAnn Falletta and John Nelson. In
addition, he has mentored early in their
careers such internationally acclaimed
artists as Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Midori,
Renee Fleming and Robert McDuffie.
Mester, who is of Hungarian descent,
was born and raised in Mexico City and
currently resides in Southern California. An
accomplished violist, he performed with
the Beaux-Arts Quartet for several years
before focusing exclusively on conducting.
JULIAN SCHWARZ,
Born in Seattle into
a musical family,
cellist Julian Schwarz
is already being
recognized as a cellist
destined to rank
among the finest of
the 21st century. In
August 2013, he was
awarded first prize in the professional
cello division of the inaugural Alice and
Eleonore Schoenfeld International String
Competition in Hong Kong.
Mr. Schwarz made his orchestral
debut at the age of 11 playing the SaintSaens Concerto No. 1 with the Seattle
Symphony and his father, Gerard
Schwarz, on the podium. Since then, he
has appeared with the Seattle, San Diego,
Puerto Rico, Columbus (Ohio), Syracuse,
Virginia, Sarasota, Grand Rapids, Omaha,
Wichita and Modesto symphonies,
among others, and performed recitals at
CELLO
the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico and in
Palm Springs.
During the 2014-15 season, Mr.
Schwarz made debuts with the Charlotte,
Toledo, Amarillo and Washington/Idaho
symphonies, and Symphony Silicon
Valley in San Jose along with this
performance with the Louisville
Orchestra; returns to the Hartford and
Boca Raton symphonies and the
Northwest Sinfonietta; and plays recitals
in Palm Springs, Washington DC,
Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Internationally, he made his Australian
debut with the Queensland Symphony
in Brisbane, his Mexican debut with
the Orquesta Filarmonica de Boca del
Rio in Veracruz, as well as his debut in
Hong Kong appearing at the Intimacy
of Creativity Festival.
In August 2012, Julian Schwarz
recorded the Samuel Jones Cello
Concerto, which was written for him,
A U D I E N C E
A-15
with the newly formed All Star Orchestra.
The All Star Orchestra, comprised of
orchestral musicians from major
American orchestras, taped eight
programs at that time, all of which were
broadcast on public television in the fall
of 2013 and then issued on DVD’s by
Naxos. Mr. Schwarz’s previous recordings
for Naxos include “In Memoriam” for the
Music of Remembrance series and the
Saint-Saens No. 1 and Haydn C Major
cello concertos with the Seattle
Symphony.
An avid chamber musician, Julian
Schwarz has performed at the Aspen,
Interlochen, Eastern, California Summer
and Encore music festivals. He has been
the “Featured Young Artist” at both the
Seattle Chamber Music Festival and the
Cape Cod Music Festival and attended
and performed at the prestigious Verbier
Festival in Switzerland. He performed
the Brahms Double at the Eastern Music
Festival and the Bellingham Festival
of Music in summer 2011 and returned
to the Eastern Music in summer 2013
to play the premiere of a new concerto
by Richard Danielpour, A Prayer For
Our Time.
Julian Schwarz started piano lessons
at the age of five and began his cello
studies the following year with the late
David Tonkonogui; subsequent teachers
include Toby Saks, Lynn Harrell, Neal
Cary, Paul Coletti, Arnold Steinhardt,
Andre Roy and Ronald Leonard at the
Colburn School. He received his bachelor
of music degree in May 2014 from The
Juilliard School in New York City, where
he studied with Joel Krosnick.
PROGRAM NOTES
WILLIAM SCHUMAN
New England
Triptych
William Schuman
was born in New
York City in 1910
and died there in
1992. He composed
this work in 1956 on a commission from
conductor Andre Kostelanetz. It was first
performed the same year by the University
of Miami Orchestra led by Kostelanetz.
Jorge Mester conducted the first Louisville
Orchestra performance of New England
Triptych in 1976 and the last performance
in 2010. The score calls for 3 flutes,
piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets,
bass clarinet, E-flat clarinet, 2 bassoons,
4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba,
timpani, percussion and strings.
A-16
William Schuman was one of the most
important musical figures in America in
the twentieth century. Apart from his
accomplishments as a composer—sadly
neglected today—he promoted new
music as Director of Publications for G.
Schirmer, was a longtime president of the
Julliard School, president of the Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts, and
director of such institutions as the
Koussevitsky Foundation, the Chamber
Music Society at Lincoln Center and the
Naumberg Foundation. In a strange
twist, he is best known as a composer for
his New England Triptych, which is based
on another man’s music.
Schuman explained: “William
Billings (1744–1800) is a major figure in
the history of American music. His works
capture the spirit of sinewy ruggedness,
deep religiosity and patriotic fervor that
we associate with the revolutionary
A U D I E N C E
period in American history. I am not
alone among American composers who
feel a sense of identity with Billings,
which accounts for my use of his music
as a departure point. These three pieces
are not a ‘fantasy’ nor ‘variations’ on
themes of Billings, but rather a fusion of
styles and musical language.”
The first movement is based on
Billings’ hymn “Be Glad, Then, America,”
a celebration of America’s bounty. After
a dark introduction led by the timpani,
a great profusion of counterpoint ensues
based on music originally written to
the lines “Be glad, then, America, shout
and rejoice.”
“When Jesus Wept” begins with
Billings’ tune in a mournful bassoon and
continues in rounds. Billings composed
“Chester” as a church hymn, but during
the Revolution it became a popular
marching song for the Continental Army.
We hear it first as a hymn, then a joyous
tribute to the spirit of America.
DMITRI
SHOSTAKOVICH
Concerto for Cello &
Orchestra No. 1 in
E-flat major, Op. 107
Dmitri Shostakovich
was born in Saint
Petersburg, Russia, in 1906 and died in
Moscow in 1975. He composed this work
in 1959, and it was first performed by
Mstislav Rostropovich, cello, with the
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under
the direction of Yevgeny Mravinsky the
same year. The Louisville Orchestra first
performed this work in 1979 with Jorge
Mester conducting and Yo-Yo Ma as the
soloist. The last time the Louisville
Orchestra presented this work was in
2010 with Scott Yoo conducting and
Bion Tsang as the cellist. The score calls
for solo cello, 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes,
2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon,
French horn, timpani, celeste and strings.
Shostakovich spent the bulk of his
life shadowboxing with the greatest (and
perhaps most unpredictable) antagonist
anyone could have: Joseph Stalin. In
one of his many purges, the dictator
condemned the composer for music
“marked by formalist perversions,
dissonance, contempt for melody, and
the use of chaotic and neuropathic
discords—all of which are alien to the
artistic tastes of the Soviet people.” Yet
not long after he wrote those words,
Stalin phoned Shostakovich personally
and asked him to represent the Soviet
Union at a cultural conference to be held
in New York in 1949. It is no wonder that
the composer was described as “highly
nervous, chain smoking and seemingly
anxious most of the time” during his trip.
By the time Shostakovich made his
next trip to the United States in 1959,
Stalin was dead and the Krushchev
“thaw” had mostly rehabilitated his
reputation. On this visit the composer
was able to hear much new American
music, and he brought with him a little
something of his own: the newlycomposed Cello Concerto No. 1.
Before World War II Shostakovich
had produced but one concerto, the
exuberant (and youthful) Op. 35 Concerto
for Piano, Trumpet and Strings. After the
war, he returned to the idiom and composed two concertos for cello, two for
violin and another for the piano.
The Cello Concerto No. 1 came
closely after the Eleventh Symphony,
yet their styles are surprisingly distinct.
Where the symphony had been expansive,
meditative and personal, the concerto
is tightly drawn, succinct and more
objectively argued. The opening motive
stated by the cello is the thematic basis
A U D I E N C E
A-17
of the entire work; its ironic character
brings the First Symphony to mind. The
second movement is lyrical, and in an
unusual twist, the third is a cadenza for
the soloist. The cello first ruminates upon
the second movement material, then
looks ahead to the turbulent Finale. After
having been disguised in its many
variations, the work’s opening theme
returns in its original form, now
providing the “solution” to the “question”
it had posed when it first appeared.
EDWARD ELGAR
Variations on an
Original Theme
(Enigma), Op. 36
Edward Elgar was born
in Broadheath,
Worcestershire,
England, in 1857 and died in Worcester,
England, in 1934. He composed this work
in 1899, and it was first performed the
same year in London under the direction
of Hans Richter. The debut performance
of this work was in 1969 under the baton
of Yoav Talmi and was last performed in
2011 led by Jorge Mester. The score calls
for 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets,
3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns,
3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani,
percussion, optional organ and strings.
This is the work that put Elgar on the
musical map. He had made his living as a
musical jack-of-all-trades, playing several
instruments, conducting, teaching and
composing. His early works (mostly
cantatas and choral works based on
historical romances) brought him scant
recognition; it was not until he composed
his Enigma Variations that he came into
his own as a composer of quality, one
whom Richard Strauss would call “the
first English progressivist.”
A-18
As the title implies, the work is a
theme-and-variations, but with a twist:
the theme is never heard—hence the
“enigma.” What’s more, each variation is
also a portrait of one of his friends. Each
was cryptically titled with a set of initials
or a name, and it was not until after
Elgar’s death that all of the identities
became known.
The variations are played without
pause, proceeding as follows:
Theme: A theme without a theme,
actually: its two contrasting sections are
derived from, but are not in themselves,
the mysterious Enigma theme.
Variation I (C.A.E.) A warm portrait
of Caroline Alice Elgar, the composer’s
wife. Elgar incorporated the four-note
whistle he always used to let her know
that he was home.
Variation II (H.D.S-P) Pianist-friend
H.D. Stuart-Powell.
Variation III (R.B.T.) Amateur actor
Richard Baxter Townshend. Townshend’s
peculiar ability to manipulate his voice
from basso to falsetto is mimicked by
gravelly rumbles set against high
woodwind figures.
Variation IV (W.M.B.) William M.
Baker, a rather gruff country squire.
Variation V (R.P.A.) Richard P. Arnold
was a young philosopher/musician whose
personality could turn rapidly from serious
to whimsical.
Variation VI (Ysobel) The prominence
of the violas in this variation is in honor
of Isabel Fitton, Elgar’s viola student.
Variation VII (Troyte) Arthur Troyte
Griffith was an architect and amateur
pianist whose contentious personality
often showed in his piano playing.
Variation VIII (W.N.) Winifred
Norbury was a gracious elderly woman
whose laugh is immortalized by the oboe
trills in this variation.
Variation IX (Nimrod) This weighty
core of the Variations is a portrait of
A U D I E N C E
August Jaeger, Elgar’s friend at Novello,
his publisher. According to Elgar, “It is
a record of a long summer evening talk,
when my friend grew nobly eloquent
(as only he could) on the grandeur of
Beethoven, and especially of his slow
movements.”
Variation X (Dorabella) In the
descending melody Elgar warmly recalls
his friend Dora Penny’s halting manner
of speech.
Variation XI (G.R.S.) This variation is
named for George R. Sinclair, but the portrait
is largely of the man’s bulldog, Dan.
Variation XII (B.G.N.) The cello section
portrays Basil G. Nevinson, a cellist who
played chamber music with Elgar.
Variation XIII (***) Mary Lygon
was on a voyage to Australia when the
Variations were written, which explains
the quotes from Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea
and Prosperous Voyage. Since she was
away, Elgar couldn’t ask her permission
to use her initials.
Finale (E.D.U.) “Edu” was his wife’s
pet name for Elgar and, as he said,
“In the fourteenth variation, I came to
myself.” The composer’s self-portrait is
a grand resolution of the Variations,
and a capstone to the piece.
Elgar refused to reveal the thematic
basis for the Variations: “The Enigma I
will not explain—its ‘dark saying’ must
be left unguessed.” Despite that—of
course!—many have guessed, and
solutions have ranged from “Auld Lang
Syne” to “God Save the Queen.” There is
one solution, though, that accounts for
Elgar’s broadest hint: when Dora Penny
(the subject of Variation X) asked Elgar
about the Enigma, he replied, “You of all
people should have guessed!” The reason
she should have guessed was that on the
tail side of an old Victorian penny was
the image of Britannia, and in this
hypothesis, “Rule Britannia” is the source
of the theme. If you sing from the words
“never never never shall be slaves,” you
encounter a snippet of melody that
occurs frequently throughout the work.
With a little imagination this also
explains Elgar’s statement that “the
principal theme never appears.” Simply
re-arrange the punctuation and you have
“the principal theme, ‘never,’ appears”—
along with an enigmatic gleam in
Elgar’s eye.
~Mark Rohr
Questions or comments?
markrohrprogramnotes@gmail.com
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA
Principal Flutist, Kathy Karr
2014/15
SEASON
LG&E Music without Borders
Sat Feb 7 • 7:30pm • Middletown United Methodist Church
Thu Feb 12 • 7:30pm • Congregation Adath Jeshurun
TICKETS $20
Jason Seber, conductor • Kathy Karr, flute
Program includes: Mozart Flute Concerto
Louisvilleorchestra.org 502-587-8681
A U D I E N C E
A-19
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA’S 2014-15 SEASON
$100,000 + UP
$50,000 - $99,999
$15,000 - $49,999
The Gheens
Foundation, Inc.
William M. Wood
Foundation
$7,500 - $14,999
$2,500 - $7,499
GARY AND SUE
RUSSELL
IN KIND
CD Colonial Designs
of St. Matthews
Florist of the Louisville Orchestra
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS AT THE KENTUCKY CENTER FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
THE GALT HOUSE HOTEL & SUITES IS THE PREFERRED HOTEL OF THE LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA.
A-20
A U D I E N C E
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA CONTRIBUTORS
The Louisville Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the following donors of record for the period
December 1, 2013, through December 31, 2014.
$3,000 - $4,999
Conductor’s Patron
Frank Abell Fund
Dr. Frederick Albrink
Mrs. Janice Purcell-Basu and Mr. Joy Basu
$100,000 - $249,999
Mr. William F. Burbank
Virtuoso Circle
Ms. Laura Douglas
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Jones, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Finney
Association of the Louisville Orchestra
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Fleischman
Mr. and Mrs. Owen C. Hardy
$75,000 - $99,999
Robin Koch Howard and Sam Carl
Maestro Circle
Mr. Anthony Kern
Mr. and Mrs. John Malloy
$25,000 - $74,999
Andrew Kipe and Norman Morse
Platinum Baton Guild
Dr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Kutz
Brooke and Matthew Barzun
Mr. and Mrs. David Laird
Mr. Owsley Brown, III
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Partridge
Mr. and Mrs. George S. Gibbs, III
Ms. Kathleen Pellegrino
Augusta and Gill Holland
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Pfau
John and Ingrid Johnson
Mr. Todd P. Lowe and Ms. Fran C. Ratterman Mr. and Mrs. John Smart
Woodrow M. and Florence G. Strickler
Mr. and Mrs. Gary M. Russell
Fund
Mr. and Mrs. James S. Welch, Jr.
Estate of Martha J. Voll
$15,000 - $24,999
$1,500 - $2,999
Gold Baton Guild
Concertmaster Patron
Bob and Nora Bernhardt
Dr. James Appleberry
Frank and Paula Harshaw
Mr. and Mrs. Irving W. Bailey, II
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Hebel, Jr.
Ms. Elizabeth M. Bernstrom
Mr. and Mrs. James O. King
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Breckner
Estate of Mrs. S. Arnold Lynch
Ms. Ruth Brinkley
Mr. and Mrs. Guy Montgomery
Mrs. Evelyn T. Cohn
Mr. and Mrs. Warwick Musson
David and Cynthia Collier
Mrs. Jane Feltus Welch
Mrs. John G. Dietrich
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Wolf
Ms. Gayle A. DeMersseman
Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Doane
$10,000 - $14,999
Mr. and Mrs. William L. Ellison, Jr.
Sterling Baton Guild
Dr. Vilma Fabre
Mrs. Kendra D. Foster and
Mr. and Mrs. Randall Fox
Mr. Turney P. Berry
Mr. and Mrs. Erik Furlan
Mr. David A. Jones, Jr. and
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Gregory
Mrs. Mary Gwen Wheeler
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Hamel
Dr. Virginia Keeney
Mrs. Barbara B. Hardy
Mr. John E. King and Dr. Emma Birks
Dr. Susan J. Herlin
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Lerman
Dr. Frederick Hilton
Mr. Joseph A. Paradis, III
Mr. Robert E. Kulp, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce J. Roth
Mrs. Philip Lanier
Mrs. Denise Schiller
Mrs. Eileene J. MacFalls
Dr. Eugene March and
$5,000 - $9,999
Dr. Lynn Gant March
Bronze Baton Guild
Mrs. Carolyn Marlowe
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Bailey
Ms. Mary Means
Mrs. Edith S. Bingham
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Morgen
Mr. and Mrs. David C. Daulton
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Pirman
Mrs. Elizabeth W. Davis
Mrs. David Potter
Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Dobbs
Mr. and Mrs. David Ray
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Dunham
Kenneth and Beulah Rogers
Mr. and Mrs. Vincenzo Gabriele
Mr. Michael Rudd
Mrs. Thelma Gault
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Sales
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Greenebaum
Reverend Edward W. Schadt
Jay and Louise Harris
Ms. Helga Schutte
Mr. Robert B. Horner
Ms. Tamina Singh
Don and Ann Kohler
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Steen
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Lamb
Mr. Edward Stopher
General Dillman Rash Fund
Dr. Gordon D. Strauss and
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Rounsavall, III
Dr. Catherine Newton
Rev. Alfred R. Shands, III
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Von Hoven
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Shiprek
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Whayne
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Wardell
Mrs. Mary Ellen Wiederwohl and
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hays Wimsatt
Mr. Joel Morris
Mr. and Dr. Robert Wimsatt
Anonymous
Dr. Shiao Y. Woo and John H. Shaw-Woo
Anonymous
$250,000 +
Founders Circle
Christina Lee Brown
A U D I E N C E
$500 - $1,499
Player’s Patron
Dr. and Mrs. Joe F. Arterberry
Ms. Susan H Baker
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Barton
Ms. Lynne Baur
Mrs. Mary J. Beale
Mr. and Mrs. William D. Beaven
Reverend and Mrs. Harlan Beckemeyer
Tom and Jody Block
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Bondurant
Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence H. Boram
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Breckner
Dr. and Mrs. Paul Brink
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Buhrow
Dr. and Norbert Burzynski
Mr. and Mrs. William P. Carrell
Lindy Casebier
June Allan Creek
Bettye Jane Davey
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon B. Davidson
Dr. and Mrs. John W. Derr, Jr.
Ms. Judith Ann Dickson
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Doyle
Mr. and Mrs. George F. Duthie
Rev. John G. Eifler
Ms. Susan Ellison
Mrs. Jean W. Frazier
Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon G. Gilman
Mr. Don J. Glaser
Ms. Mary Louise Gorman
Dr. and Mrs. Laman A. Gray
Ms. June Hampe
Mr. and Mrs. William Hancock
Mr. and Mrs. Spencer E. Harper, Jr.
Mr. Carl Helmich
Dr. George H. Herbener and
Dr. Margaret Fonda
Mr. and Mrs. Willis W. Hobson
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hollingsworth
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Horvath
Mr. and Mrs. David Hyslop
Mr. and Mrs. Breck Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel N. Klinck
Dr. and Mrs. Forrest Kuhn
Mr. and Mrs. Karl D. Kuiper
Mr. Michael Kusman
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Lancaster
Mrs. Helen Lang
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel M. Levine
Dr. and Mrs. Daniel McAninch
Tonya and Steve McSorley
Cantor David Lipp and Rabbi Laura Metzger
Ms. Julie Morton
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Loomis
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart McCombs
Mrs. Virginia MacKin
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Montgomery
Ms. June E. Morris
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Murphy
Dr. and Mrs. Alton E. Neurath, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. David H. Neustadt
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Olliges
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Passafiume
Mrs. William P. Peak
Mr. and Mrs. John Pohl
Mrs. Anne L. Pope
Charlie and Carol Pye
Mr. Stephen Reinhardt
Dr. John Roberts
Mr. and Mrs. Theodore S. Rosky
Dr. and Mrs. William M. Schreiber
A-21
Ms. Alleine Schroyens
Mr. and Mrs. David C. Scott
Dr. Arthur J. Slavin and Mrs. Inger J. Slavin
Dr. Janet L. Smith
Mrs. Carole Snyder
Dr. and Mrs. Paul E. Tipton
Mrs. Rose Mary Toebbe
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Voyles
Ms. Zada Wagaman
Mr. and Mrs. William W. Weber
Mr. and Mrs. Orme Wilson
Mr. James I. Wimsatt and
Ms. Rebecca S. Beal
Dr. John C. Wright and Dr. Kay Roberts
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Wolff
Mrs. Evelyn C. Wolford
$250 - $499
Patron
Ms. Susan Barry
Mr. Hans Bensinger
Ms. Pamela Blair
Mrs. Kathryn D. Christopherson
Ms. Caroline Christian
Ms. Faith Cirre
Mr. and Mrs. George F. Coleman
Mrs. Richard L. Conklin
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur O. Cromer
Mr. and Mrs. Leonidas D. Deters, Jr.
Mr. Stephen A. Dobbins
Ms. Ewing A. Fahey
Mr. Walter Feibes
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Foshee
Ms. Christine Gault
Dr. Mary Harty
Mr. Marc T. Haynes
Mr. Lawrence Herzog
Dr. Arthur Isaacs and Ms. Joyce Loeser
Dr. and Mrs. Samuel L. Karr
Ms. Margie Kommor
Ms. Kathy Kugler
Mr. and Mrs. Alan L. Kunkel
Dr. and Mrs. Allan Lansing
Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Leight
Mr. Ronald L. Loughry and
Ms. Bethany A. Breetz
Ms. Nancy Marnett
Ms. Maureen Marra
Ms. Joanne Milo
Mr. Charles Moore
Mrs. Robert Nash
Dr. Charles R. Oberst
Dr. Naomi J. Oliphant
Ms. Donna Peak
Ms. Joan Pike
Mr. and Mrs. Julius E. Raith
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Reed
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Richardson
Dr. Kay Roberts
Ms. Eleanor R. Robins
Mr. and Mrs. E. Halsey Sandford
Brandon and Courtney Schadt
Mr. Richard W. Sharpe
Cary Shields
Mr. and Mrs. John Sinai
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Smith
Mr. Richard Stephan
Dr. Gerald F. Sturgeon and
Dr. Patricia Sturgeon
Mrs. & Mr. Kathleen Towsley
Mr. Samuel Tyler
Ms. Patricia Walker
Mr. Dennis Walsh
Mr. and Mrs. William Walsh, III
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Watts
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Welch
Ms. Maria L. Whittington
Mr. and Mrs. Raleigh K. Wilson
Mrs. Susan H. Wilburn
Ms. Susan Zepeda and Dr. Fred Seifer
Dr. and Mrs. Nathan Zimmerman
ROBERT S. WHITNEY LEGACY SOCIETY
Individuals who have generously made
estate plans for the Louisville Orchestra.
Ms. Doris L. Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley L. Crump
Mrs. Janet R. Dakan
William J. Ehrig
Don J. Glaser
Anita Ades Goldin
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Hebel, Jr.
Carl E. Langenhop
Mrs. Philip Lanier
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Lerman
Dr. Naomi J. Oliphant
Mr. Paul R. Paletti, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Gary M. Russell
Rev. Edward W. Schadt
Estate of Louise Tachau Schulman
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Summers, Jr.
Dr. Peter Tanguay and
Margaret Fife Tanguay
Rose Mary Rommel Toebbe
Dr. and Mrs. Richard S. Wolf
Anonymous
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Axxis
Colonial Designs of St. Matthews
Gohmann Asphalt & Construction
Jefferson County Public Schools
Leap Frog Interactive, Inc.
Louisville Public Media
O’Neil Arnold Photography
Phoenix Lighting and Sound
Psi Iota Xi National Sorority, Inc.
Psi Iota Xi Sorority, Zeta Iota
Chapter
SCH Realty
Strothman & Company PSC
Thrifty Car and Truck Rental
Vincenzo’s
Vintage Printing
The Voice-Tribune
WDRB Fox 41
FOUNDATION PARTNERS
Barr Foundation
The Clifton Foundation
Irvin F. and Alice S. Etscorn Foundation
Fiddlehead Fund
Gheens Foundation
Habdank Foundation
Klein Family Foundation
Paradis Foundation
RLR Charitable Foundation
Louis T. Roth Foundation
Lyndon and Helen Schmid Charitable
Foundation
Arthur K. Smith Family Foundation
Sutherland Foundation
William M. Wood Foundation
Wimsatt Family Foundation
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA PARTNERSHIP IN
ARTS AND CULTURE
Bistro Le Relais
Bristol Bar & Grille
211 Clover Lane
Corbett’s: An American Place
DISH on Market
Gary’s on Spring
Lilly’s Bistro
Milkwood
MATCHING GIFTS
Porcini Restaurant
Dow Corning for Edward Sprague
General Electric for Walter and Maud Baker, RIVUE
Rye on Market
Filomena Farley, Theodore Groene,
Seviche, a Latin Restaurant
Diane Aprile Hoosel, Jacquelyn B.
St. Charles Exchange
Metzler, Richard and Louise Prycha,
U of L Physicians Group
Mr. and Mrs. K. C. Reifsteck, J. and
The Village Anchor
Carol Rosenkrans, Kim Shapiro and
Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant
Gerald Wells
Kindred Healthcare for Ms. Barbara Baylis Volare Italian Restaurant
and John E. King
YUM! Brands, Inc. for Gary and
Virginia Buhrow
The Louisville Orchestra Partnership for Arts and Culture
The Louisville Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the following partners for
their five-year commitment of financial support. Please join us by expressing
your gratitude when visiting these establishments.
The Bristol Bar and Grille • 211 Clover Lane •
Corbett’s: An American Place • Le Relais • Porcini Restaurant •
University of Louisville Physicians Department of Radiation Oncology •
The Village Anchor • Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant
A-22
A U D I E N C E
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA 2014-15 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, Member at Large
Winona Shiprek, Chair Special Events
Christina Brown, Member at Large
Carol Hebel†, Member at Large
Ingrid Johnson, Member at Large
John Malloy, Member at Large
Tim Tomes, ALO President
James S. Welch, Jr., President
Chuck Maisch, Immediate Past President
Andrew Fleischman, General Counsel/Secretary
Kendra Foster, Co-Chair Development
Susan Von Hoven, Co-Chair Development
Paula Harshaw, Chair Education
Tom Partridge, Chair Finance
Bruce Roth, Chair Nom. and Governance
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mrs. Janice Purcell-Basu Mrs. Paula Harshaw
Mrs. Carole Birkhead†
Dr. Virginia Keeney†
Mrs. Ruth Brinkley
Mr. James King, Jr.
Mr. Lindy Casebier*
Mr. John E. King
Dr. Christopher Doane
Mr. Don Kohler, Jr.
Mrs. Ritu Furlan Mrs. Mary Jane Kutz
Mr. Vincenzo Gabriele Mrs. Nancy Laird
Mr. Arthur Lerman
Mr. Todd Lowe
Mr. Guy Montgomery
Mr. Joseph Paradis, III
Mr. Nicolas Raubertas
Mr. Kenneth Sales
Mrs. Denise Schiller
Mrs. Kim Tichenor*
Mr. Louis Waterman
Mr. Robert Wimsatt
Dr. Shiao Woo
*denotes Ex-Officio
† denotes Life Member
ASSOCIATION OF THE LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA, INC.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Tim Tomes, President
Gloria Bailey, Immediate Past President
Margaret Horlander,
Vice President, Communication
Mona Newell, Vice President, Education
Peg Irvin, Dottie Nix, Vice Presidents, Hospitality
Gloria Bailey, Jeanne James,
Vice Presidents, Membership
Winona Shiprek, Anne Tipton,
Vice Presidents, Ways and Means
Carolyn Marlowe, Recording Secretary
Sue Bench, Corresponding Secretary
Ann Decker, Treasurer
Jo Ann Gammon, Paula Harshaw,
President’s Appointments
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Janet Ames
Rita Bell
Sally Brink
Carolyn Bruce
June Creek
Barb Dunham
Janet Falk
Jeanne Ferguson
Margie Harbst
Carol Hebel
Deanna Heleringer
Jeanne James
Nancy Laird
Marcia Murphy
Carolyn Neustadt
Roycelea Scott
Ruth Scully
Nancy Seitz
Mollie Smith
Harriet Treitz
Judy Wayne
Carol Whayne
Suzanne Whayne
LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA STAFF
Andrew Kipe, Executive Director
Tonya McSorley, Chief Financial Officer
Robin Koch Howard, Director of Development
Deanna Hoying, Director of Education & Community Engagement
Carla Givan Motes, Director of Patron Services & Ticket Operations
Lindsay C. Vallandingham, General Manager
Michelle Winters, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Callie Chapman, Creative Manager
Kim Davidson, Receptionist/Accounts Payable Clerk
Adrienne Hinkebein, Personnel Manager
Mary Hudson, Development Assistant
Nathaniel Koch, Development Manager
Andrew Llewellyn, Operations Manager
Brandon Neal, Education Coordinator
Heather O’Mara, Public Relations Manager
Angela Pike, Receptionist
Bill Polk, Stage Manager
Cheri Reinbold, Staff Accountant
Edward W. Schadt, Major Gifts Officer/Director of
Planned Giving
Erika Voss, Librarian
Shane Wood, Patron Services Coordinator
CaSandra Zabenco, Senior Staff Accountant
A U D I E N C E
A-23
A-24
A U D I E N C E
them. The estate is very particular about
how the music is used, and it showed a
great level of trust on their part.
SD: Once you had obtained the
permissions, what was the next step?
VC: We had to come up with a story line.
That kind of fell together. The more difficult
part was finding an arranger the estate
would approve. I talked with many arrangers
and composers who wanted to do it; there
was no lack of interest in the community.
But I really liked Ron Paley from Canada.
He’s a big name on the Canadian blues
and jazz scene—the Ron Paley Band has a
great reputation. I introduced him to the
Hammerstein estate stakeholders and we
got the green light to go ahead.
SD: How did you choose which pieces to
include?
VC: We sifted through an amazing amount
of music, but I didn’t want to choose
anything that didn’t reflect what was
happening on stage. Even though we
weren’t using the words, these songs are
iconic and we all know them. So we had to
be very careful about where we placed a
particular piece. It was a big challenge.
SD: You worked on the libretto with Sheryl
Flatow, who is something of a historian.
VC: Yes, she happened to be living in San
Francisco at the time working with San
Francisco Ballet. It was easy because the
whole creative team was in San Francisco.
Sandra Woodall designed the sets and
costumes for the production. Alexander V.
Nichols, lighting and sound designer, was
also in San Francisco.
SD: The way you incorporated Richard
Rodgers’ television version of Cinderella is
brilliant. Tell me how you developed it.
410 W. Chestnut • Suite 634
Louisville, KY 40202
502.589.2728 • Fax: 502.589.0209
A U D I E N C E
9
VC: We used only parts of it that emulated
the music and that come from a television
set on stage. The plot is set during the
week before the premiere of the television
special. The producers made a lot of
commercials specifically for Cinderella,
which was unusual. It was unusual
enough to have the premiere of a musical
on TV, but promotional commercials to
drive viewership were very rare at the
time. One commercial in particular that I
was really drawn to features Nancy and
Bob: Bob’s getting ready for his first date
with Nancy and she’s very excited. So we
used them as our characters.
SD: You have made some interesting
twists in your story.
VC: I hope they are. In our version, Bob
loses his shoe in the Arthur Murray dance
studio. Nancy sneaks in because her
stepmother doesn’t want her to go. Bob is
a rebel and gets kicked out for being
rowdy, and in the commotion, he is
separated from his footwear.
SD: The Cinderella story has been told so
many different ways. Were there other
versions that inspired your production?
VC: I was also influenced by Jerry Lewis
and Cinderfella. There are a few references
to that movie scattered throughout the
ballet. I’ve always loved that film.
SD: It’s also correct for the period,
because it came out about the same time
as the special.
VC: Exactly. One place I used it is in his
entrance into the ballroom.
SD: Edith Head designed the beautiful
costumes in that film. I know you are very
much interested in the costumes used in
your ballets. Tell me about these.
10
VC: It’s all from the 1950s, reflective of
Givenchy and other high-fashion designers
of the time. Sandra was really into that
and did extensive research of old magazines for the spirit and design elements
she brought to the stage. Audrey Hepburn
became a muse for us. She, of course,
wore a lot of Givenchy, and you’ll see a lot
of Audrey Hepburn in Nancy. You won’t
see so much of the poodle skirts and
bobby socks—it’s more high fashion. She
has an iconic pink and black dress that she
wears into the ballroom that is central to
the plot of this story.
SD: Why is the dress so important?
VC: Remember we are using commercials
on the television upstage to further the
plot. We found one with a sort of Hedda
Hopperish feeling in which a socialite asks,
“Who is that girl in the pink and black
dress?” As she’s leaving she doesn’t lose
her shoe in our version, she gets her dress
caught in the elevator. She has to leave the
dress behind and the prince searches for
the person who can wear it. All the women
of the town come in with knock-offs of the
dress. It’s a very funny visual joke that I got
from I Love Lucy. All the knock-offs in this
scene are of original Givenchy designs, and
it is hysterical. The costumes in this production are very instrumental to the plot.
SD: Wasn’t your father involved in the
garment business?
VC: Yes, but mostly sportswear. I remember having to work summers when I was
in junior high and high school doing the
bundling line. After they cut the patterns,
they stack them together in preparation
for sewing. So I really saw how things
were made. It was very interesting.
A U D I E N C E
Visit Museum Row on Main
Louisville’s Cultural Corridor
CELEBRATE
THE SPIRIT OF
LOVE.
EvanWilliamsBourbonExperience.com
Evan Williams ® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Bardstown, KY 43% Alc./Vol. © 2014
52130_LSMF_AudAd-Aug2013.indd 1
8/20/13 9:41 AM
Shows Through March 31st
kentuckycenter.org
SD: Of course, ballet costumes have to be
built a little differently, because dancers
need to be able to move. Tell me about
the types of movement in this ballet.
VC: It is heavily influenced by ballroom
dancing, jitterbug, the Madison and a lot
of dance from the period. I’ve used ballroom before, but I really had to research
this because the music so influences the
direction of the ballet. As you would
expect, it is still heavily influenced by
classical ballet.
SD: Ballet today seems to be moving in a
new direction and this work is, to my
mind, indicative of where we are
heading. What do you think about the
genre in general?
VC: I would call it a new direction for
me. Not just from the standpoint of
choreography, but across the board there
is a fresh approach to ballet that taps
into many other resources. I love doing
that kind of collaboration and I always
include elements of that in my work. In
A Cinderella Story, I worked with a lot of
people who inhabit Richard Rodgers’
A U D I E N C E
11
world—Broadway—and that introduced
new approaches. I’m not sure exactly how
to answer, but we are all trying to push
ballet forward. The Nutcracker I just
choreographed for Grand Rapids Ballet
does that through my collaboration with
a children’s book author as well as
designers from Broadway and film. They
see things differently and it lets me see
things with a fresh eye.
SD: It must be a real eye-opener for
them as well.
VC: I always say that ballet doesn’t have
the advantage of any of these other
disciplines—film, Broadway or other art
forms—because we don’t have out-oftown runs. You can plan until you are
blue in the face, but you don’t know what
it’s going to look like really—how the
choreography works with the costumes
and sets and lighting—until you put it on
stage. We don’t have previews; we have
three performances, and it’s expected to
be genius right away. It’s very intense.
SD: Most theatrical productions including
Broadway and film get previews before
they even open.
VC: I don’t think most people really
understand that and what it means for
ballet. It’s scary, especially when you
are using a lot of production elements,
because you have to be right on. You
have to have people who really know
what they are doing, because there is
no time for trial and error.
SD: How much time do you get on stage
before opening?
VC: Not very much. All of these disparate
elements are created in the studio and
the various shops and, if you are lucky,
12
you have three days in the theatre to load
it in and run technical rehearsals. It is
intense. And this was one of those. At one
point I had an idea that the TV would be
located in Cinderella’s own little corner,
where she has created her refuge from
abuse. Well, the show comes on and the
fairy godmother from that show explodes
from the television into our story. Then
the television replaces the pumpkin and
turns into a Chevy, in which Nancy drives
away. I give Sandra these ideas and she
always makes it work.
SD: There is a lot of stage craft in this
production.
VC: Oh yeah, including the commercials,
the music…it’s really a huge collaboration.
SD: In the Royal Winnipeg Ballet production, you were able to have the arranger,
Ron Paley, and his trio performing. How
will that be handled in Louisville?
VC: Ron created arrangements for small,
medium and big bands so that it can be
played with nine musicians in the pit or a
full orchestra—very smart on his part. The
set is also designed to fit small, medium
and large stages. This production is
designed to tour. San Francisco Ballet is
doing one of the pas de deux this season
with the full orchestra.
SD: You’re not using the words from the
songs, but you said earlier that they are
driving the story. Can you explain that a
little more?
VC: I hear the words in my head as I am
choreographing and they are listed in the
program. For instance, when Nancy
enters the ballroom, I chose “The Most
Beautiful Girl in the World.” So the
essence of the songs in every section of
A U D I E N C E
Ballet is doing Lady of the Camellias this
season, and San Francisco is doing
Lambarena in 2015. These ballets have
lasted, they have travelled and been
performed a lot—but you never
know…
the ballet will make sense when you see
what is happening on stage.
SD: Do you ever think about how people
might look at this ballet in a hundred
years? You are doing the same thing Petipa
did in his time, but now he is a legend.
Does the weight of that ever affect you?
VC: You never know what’s going to last.
When I create a work, I don’t put that
kind of pressure on it. This ballet is ten
years old, but it’s the first time any
company other than the Royal Winnipeg
will perform it. They have done it many
times and I have worked on it over the
years. I tweak ballets forever! Balanchine
tweaked his masterpieces until his death.
I hope my work lasts. I want it to be seen,
but you never know. I do have a couple of
ballets celebrating twenty years: Boston
Val Caniparoli’s A Cinderella Story, set in
the 1950s to an original jazz orchestration
from the Richard Rodgers songbook, will be
performed in Whitney Hall at The Kentucky
Center on February 13 and 14. This fresh
and inventive retelling of the popular
rags-to-riches fairytale will be a treat for
young and old alike. To buy tickets, call
502.584.7777 or go to kentuckycenter.org.
For more information about Louisville
Ballet and the rest of their season, go to
louisvilleballet.org.
Kentucky
to the
™
A U D I E N C E
13
T
R A V E L
C
A L E N D A R
New Openings on Broadway
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
A new musical inspired by the film about young
souls in Paris is directed by Christopher Wheeldon
and features some of the Gershwins’ classics.
Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway, 877.250.2929.
FINDING NEVERLAND
Based on the true story of the relationship
between author J. M. Barrie and the family that
inspired his classic work, Peter Pan. Starring
Matthew Morrison and Kelsey Grammer.
Lunt-Fontanne, 205 W. 46th St., 877.250.2929.
HAND TO GOD
HUMANA FESTIVAL
LOCALS PASS
FIVE PLAYS FOR
ONLY $75
Set in a devout Christian Texas town, the play
revolves around a puppet that takes over the
personality of the human who is manipulating
it. Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., 800.432.7250.
ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Hijinks aboard a luxury train trip from Chicago to
New York! A financially strapped producer (Peter
Gallagher) must convince a movie star (Kristin
Chenoweth) to sign on for a play. American
Airlines Theatre, 227 W. 42nd St., 212.719.1300.
SKYLIGHT
Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan star in this drama
that starts when one year after the death of his
wife, Tom arrives on an ex-lover’s doorstep in
hopes of a reconciliation. John Golden Theatre,
252 W. 45th St., 800.432.7250.
THE AUDIENCE
Helen Mirren again plays Queen Elizabeth II, who
is shown in imagined private conversations with
the many prime ministers who served during
her reign. Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 W.
45th St., 800.432.7250.
THE HEART OF ROBIN HOOD
This spectacular rendition of the English legend
is filled with swashbuckling, acrobatics, comedy,
romance and original music played on-stage by
the acclaimed band Parsonsfield. Marquis
Theatre, 1535 Broadway, 877.250.2929.
THE KING AND I
Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe star in this Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical revival set in 1860s
Siam. Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 150 W. 65th St.,
212.239.6200.
PASSES ON SALE NOW!
502.584.1205 | actorstheatre.org
14
WOLF HALL, PARTS ONE AND TWO
Hilary Mantel’s fictional tour de force about the
deceit, betrayal and intrigue at the court of
Henry VIII (two separate productions). Winter
Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway, 800.432.7250.
AA UU DD I I EE NN CC EE
We give you more
primary care options.
Whether you’re sick or need a wellness check-up, KentuckyOne Health
has more primary care options. Your primary care physician is your first
choice when you’re sick, and for annual visits. Express Care at Walgreens
is close-by for minor illnesses and injuries. Anywhere Care is a live 24/7
phone or video chat service. Emergency Care is where you turn
for immediate emergency treatment.
To find the right door for you, visit ChooseYourDoor.org
or call 888.570.8091 for a provider near you.
TRNSFR
FNDS.
Transfer funds seamlessly with
our faster app.
Impatience has its rewards. Now get $200
when you open a Fifth Third Essential
checking account with qualifying activities.
Learn more at 53.com/200
Visit 53.com/200 for qualifying activity requirements, which must be met within 90 days
of account opening. New checking account must be opened with $50 min deposit from
1/20-4/4/15. Member FDIC. Mobile data charges may apply.
QFRC5103000_Transfer_4C_Louisville(4.75x7.75).indd 1
1/12/15 8:57 AM